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A prayer circle near the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are investigating the shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. RELATED STORY Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A prayer circle near the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A prayer circle near the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A prayer circle near the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A prayer circle near the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Keith Schubert/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are still investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon, the second young child in as many days to die in southeastern Wisconsin in a shooting. Milwaukee police are investigating the fatal shooting, which occurred in the 3200 block of North 45th Street. RELATED STORY Colin Boyle / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee police said they have someone in custody in the death of a 5-year-old boy who was shot and killed on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday.

Police said they will refer the matter to the District Attorney's Office soon.

The boy was the second 5-year-old to die in a shooting in two days in southeastern Wisconsin.

On Monday, an 5-year-old from Kenosha died from gunshot wounds after he was dropped off at Froedtert South Kenosha Medical Center around 1:30 p.m.

The Milwaukee boy was also at least the eighth child to have been shot in Milwaukee since the end of March.

Two neighbors near the scene of the fatal shooting, which occurred on the 3200 block of North 45th Street, told the Journal Sentinel they were told the boy got hold of a gun that was left out and accidentally shot himself. Police have not confirmed that account.

Milwaukee police have confirmed the boy was shot right before noon and have placed the Medical Examiner's Office under a nondisclosure hold on releasing information about the 5-year-old.

Elder Malcolm L. Hunt Sr. of Least of These International Ministries Inc., who was at the shooting scene Tuesday, told reporters that gun owners with children in the house should lock up their firearms.

"If you keep these guns locked up, and out of reach of children, this would never happen," Hunt said.

Still, he said, the boy's mother shouldn't blame herself for the shooting.

"It’s time for us to stop pointing our fingers and blaming one another. It’s time for this community to unite," Hunt said.

Officers and neighbors gather at the scene of a fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy on Milwaukee's west side Tuesday afternoon.(Photo: Keith Schubert/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Reggie Jackson said they did just that.

Community steps up

Jackson, head griot for the city's Black Holocaust Museum, was preparing to leave his home for a meeting when he saw police tape in front of the house across his alley.

Shortly after, a neighbor told him a 5-year-old had been shot.

As the police tape was being take down, sounds of trauma rang across the alley.

"When they (family members) were able to go into the house ... several of them started to cry very loudly and it was very emotional for everyone," he said.

Jackson watched as members of the family emerged from the home, solemnly carrying items — a sofa with blood stains and a rug stained with blood — to the trash.

Jackson and other neighbors sprang into action, bringing over trash bags to help remove the reminders left behind.

He also called Office of Violence Prevention Director Reggie Moore for help.

Moore arrived with grief counselors and other members from his office, and they worked with the family to continue to clean the scene.

When an argument broke out between family members, someone called police; Jackson, Moore and other members of his office helped de-escalate the tensions, persuading people to leave and calming others before the police arrived.

To get the sofa out of sight, Jackson asked Moore to call the Department of Public Works and they removed it overnight.

Jackson said everyone, including the police officers who arrived at the scene, did an outstanding job assisting the family.

"Many people, their first reaction is to think of who to blame for it instead of thinking about the family and offering condolences and prayers. The family is traumatized enough; they don’t need people pointing to blame," he said.

Instead, he said, they need neighbors like the ones who were there to bring peace and support to a somber scene.

"I think it was a great example of what happens when there’s tragedy in black communities in Milwaukee – people rally to support the families," he said.

Contact Talis Shelbourne at (414) 223-5261 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and Facebook at @talisseer.